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Just as in agricultural settings, understanding the fertility of the soils in your woodland is important for selecting, planting, and growing trees that will be healthy in the long term.

This is the third consecutive year of drought across much of the state, and successive years of drought can compound stress on trees. There are steps you can take to reduce drought stress on your woods.

Extension foresters provide recommended tree and plant lists for east-central Minnesota.
Find climate-resilient, native trees and plants for the St. Louis Moraines and Tamarack Lowlands regions of Minnesota.

Focusing on the health of plants and small animals creates a resilient ecosystem where deer, grouse, turkey, bear, wolf, elk and moose can also thrive.

There is so much to learn about the complex ecosystem interactions among the trees, understory plants, and wildlife you might find in your nearest woodland. Here are a few species worth a closer look.